On the 10th of August 2024, UNATU convened a vital stakeholders meeting at the Civil Service College in Jinja City, drawing district Human Resource Officers (HROs) from across the Busoga region. The meeting saw participation from HROs, Branch Chairpersons, the Regional Chair for Busoga, the regional representative for Women Affairs Busoga, the General Secretary of UNATU, the Regional Coordinator Busoga, and Branch staff from the districts, municipalities, and City in Busoga.
Kumutala Esther, the Busoga Regional Chairperson, opened the meeting with expressions of gratitude towards the HROs and Chairpersons for their timely attendance and support. She commended Baluka Dorothy, the Regional Coordinator, for her exemplary work and collaboration with the Branch staff. She emphasized the importance of a strong relationship between HRs and UNATU, particularly in handling coding issues, and wished everyone productive deliberations.
Baluka Dorothy, the Regional Coordinator, appreciated the HROs for attending the meeting despite it being a weekend. She introduced the Branch staff and facilitated a session where all participants introduced themselves, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
Key Address by the General Secretary
The General Secretary of UNATU thanked the HROs for their presence. He addressed the critical issue of mental health, noting how salary delays, cuts, and payroll deletions significantly impact the Human Resource Office. He underscored the necessity for psychosocial support and empathy for HROs, who directly manage salary figures and face considerable public scrutiny.
The GS urged Branch Chairpersons to engage closely with HR offices rather than individuals. He highlighted the challenges with annual increments for teachers as raised by the youth teachers, noting that some of these issues arise due to the transition from IPPS to HCM. The GS also highlighted the importance of up-to-date membership subscriptions for benefits like condolence support. He emphasized the need for continued timely remittance of monthly schedules, with Busoga leading in this regard.
He elaborated on the recruitment drive UNATU is currently running and stressed the significance of UNATU’s presence during induction sessions by HR Officers to explain the union’s importance and share vital information. The GS touched on the impact of salary discrepancies, which have led to numerous early retirements among teachers, and called for increased government funding in education to address these issues. He concluded by inviting participants to discuss the issues he had raised.
Engaging Plenary Session
During the plenary session, attendees voiced several key requests and concerns. They sought to simplify the recruitment process with the availability of recruitment forms. They also mentioned that HCM would address annual increment issues. Strengthening cooperation between HR offices and UNATU was emphasized, alongside tackling the problem of code dropping, especially in Jinja City. The issue of salary delays caused by the new HCM system was also raised, with a call for UNATU Chairpersons to act as HR ambassadors and share critical information arising from their office, such as salary delays.
Concerns surrounding Walimu SACCO and early retirement were discussed. The HROs appreciated the support from UNATU in districts like Luuka and pledged to collaborate more closely with UNATU, especially during induction exercises and other functions. The HROs also thanked UNATU for the continuous engagement with them.
Response from the General Secretary
In response, the GS addressed several concerns. He advised Chairpersons on the recruitment process, explaining that writing to the CAO and City/Town Clerk was necessary. He clarified that a write-up is not required for code 257 dropping and emphasized the need to bridge the information gap with HR Officers. Effective communication and coordination among HRs using the HCM system were deemed crucial to solve some of the issues arising from the new system. Regarding Walimu SACCO, the GS announced an upcoming meeting aimed at resolving ongoing issues.
The GS reiterated the importance of addressing mental health challenges globally and thanked HR Officers for their commitment and participation.
Conclusion and Future Steps
This stakeholders meeting marked a significant step toward strengthened collaboration between UNATU and HR Officers in the Busoga region. By addressing critical issues and fostering open dialogue, the meeting aimed to improve the working conditions and support for teachers, ultimately enhancing the education sector in the region.
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